Shea Stadium
Baseball has never suffered any shortage of popularity on Long Island. And, with the amazing performance by the “Miracle Mets” in 1969, millions of fans flocked to Shea Stadium in the 70s to watch their National League heroes, as well as football games and a number of concerts. And though Shea has since met its demise, memories of this stadium remain strong.
When the Brooklyn Dodgers left in 1957, then the New York Giants the following year, New Yorker suddenly found themselves without a National League team for the first time in the century, They would have to wait until 1962, when the Mets began playing at the Polo Grounds.
Meanwhile, their new home was being constructed on the site that was originally considered as a new home for the Dodgers in Flushing. So happy were New Yorkers that they named the new stadium after the man that returned National League baseball to their city, William A. Shea.
In 1969, against amazing odds, the always-cellar-dwelling Mets did the seemingly impossible, they beat the Orioles in five games, earning themselves the title of “Miracle Mets”. During the 70s, the team would enjoy a return to the fall classic in 1973, but lose to the Athletics in seven.
New York fans would have to wait well into the 80s before their team won the series again, thanks in part to a first baseman named Bill Buckner who kept the Boston curse alive for the remainder of the century.
Here’s a great look at Shea, circa 1977:
https://youtu.be/wIq7sCc8i3U
Besides being the home of the New York Mets, Shea Stadium has served a variety of other functions over the years. The New York Jets played here all through the 70s (with the exception of 1977), until conflicts between baseball and football season led them to move to Giants Stadium all the way in New Jersey.
The stadium also has a rich history of hosting music concerts, starting with the record crowd that showed up to watch The Beatles perform in 1965. More great events would follow in the 70s.
In 1971, Shea Stadium hosted the Festival For Peace, which featured such acts as Creedence Clearwater Revival, Janis Joplin and Miles Davis. Grand Funk Railroad played to a record-breaking crowd at the stadium that same year.
Numerous acts appeared there through the remainder of the decade and, in 1979, the stadium hosted its biggest name ever, Pope John Paul II, whose entrance into the stadium seemed to somehow halt a torrential downpour that had plagued the stadium all day. Just another miracle at Shea Stadium.
Unfortunately, Shea started to really show her age in later years, and like many other stadiums of the 70s, it would soon belong to the ages. In 2009, after hosting almost five decades of baseball games and other events, She was demolished, replaced by Citi Field just across the way.
But memories aren’t so easy to demolish, and there is many a former 70s kid who can fondly remember sitting with their dad at Shea and rooting for those Mets to pull off another miracle. Those memories will last a lifetime.
What are your own personal memories of Shea Stadium? I’d love to hear them in our comments section at the bottom of the page.
Oddly enough, my first visit to Shea was in September, 1974 to see — the YANKEES! This was, of course, way before interleague play, and it wasn’t the Mayor’s Trophy game; it was the season when Yankee Stadium was undergoing its original renovation. What a day: we got two games for the price of one, as the Yankees and the Tigers were also making up a rainout from the previous day. Before the first game, there was a “have your picture taken with a player” event, which was about to end when we arrived, and the crowd was packed very thickly. However, someone was pushing through the crowd claiming to be a photographer, and either my mother or sister had the bright idea to follow him. We thus made it through in the nick of time to be photographed with Yankees pitcher Cecil Upshaw. (Another odd thing was seeing the Channel 9 TV cameras, as Channel 9 carried the Mets, but Channel 11 had the Yankees …)
Oh yes. Grandfather on my mom’s side was a die hard Mets fan and he’d take us to see games all the time at Shea, with a trip to White Castle on Atlantic Ave either before or afterwards. Also went there when the Dolphins came to town to play the Jets.
True story. I was lucky enough to go to game 6 of the 1986 World Series. Yes – the Billy Buckner game and the one that the guy parachuted onto the field. Here’s what still haunts me to this day. Sitting next to us was a young boy (12 maybe) who was so excited to be there. He was with his mom (nice enough but obviously not a baseball fan). At the top of the 10th inning she said to her son “we’re leaving now so we can beat the traffic”. Her son pleaded with her to stay and was heartbroken when she wouldn’t give in and they both left. Of course, the rest is history as the Mets rallied in the bottom of the 10th with 2 outs and nobody on to win the greatest game in their history. I am still so sad that this kid missed out experiencing this once in a life time victory at Shea. The place exploded and the fans didn’t leave for a hour after the game. I can envision him listening to the end of the game on the car radio heading home and giving his mother a ration of ****.
1988 come in from college to go to playoffs. I think game 4. Mets up by 2 in the 8th. Dad says I got to go to work in am let’s go . Get to car it tied up. Get home to see dodgers hit home run in 14th. I turn to dad and said you bum I came all the way from Oklahoma. We don’t ever leave until they pick the popcorn off the floor. 20 years later in Denver we are at Rockies Yankees. Dad turns to me in 8 the you wanna go . I just glared. He said ok I know we don’t leave until they pick the popcorn off the floor. Miss you pop. Good memories.
Actually started a cheer at Shea that lasted 4 or 5 years in 90s. Added the dog pound bark to the let’s go Mets. Remember with pride watching at home as the announcer said that’s something new.
I remember Mookie Wilsons first day at Shea (at least the first time I remember him at Shea). He replace Lee Mazzilli–every Long Island Kids favorite player. We booed. Mookie had a great day, the Mets won and Boo became MOOOOOOK.
That and Banner Day are my favorite Shea memories
I went to many Met games in the 1970s and early 1980s. Lots of fun memories.
On July 3, 1976, it was Mets Medallion Day, and nearly 50k fans attended, including 13-year-old me and a friend who were allowed to go on our own for the first time with any adults. Tom Seaver pitched and the Mets won in 10 innings (on an errant pickoff attempt) following the world’s shortest rain delay (the tarp hadn’t been fully spread when the umps told them to roll it back up).
I went to the Mayors Trophy Game in 1977 against the Yankees. I went to Fireworks Night in 1981, after the players strike ended. Man, that was LOUD!
I went to Seat Cushion Night in May of 1982, the night hundreds of fans tossed their seat cushions onto the field in disgust after Kingman homered in the bottom of the 9th, in mock response to a poorly played game. The sight of those square frisbees against the stadium light was bizarre.
Also went to several Yankee games there when the Yanks played there in 1974-75 while their stadium was being refurbished.